Electric push-button.



' M. C. FRANK. mmmc PUSH aunml. APPLICATION FILED JAN-8119]! PatentedFeb.12,1918.

I Ave ENVY? MAXWE L C. MK, 01 PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA- .ELECTBIOPUSH-BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Application filed January 8, 1917. Serial No. 141,207.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAXWELL citizen of the United States, Piedmont, inthe county of Alamed State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Push-Buttons, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates generally to luminous devices, rendered so, by theapplication of luminous compositions, and in particular relates toelectric push buttons illuminated by such agents.

The primary object of this invention is to rovide self luminous meansfor the push utton, so that it can'be readily seenand located in thedark, wholly without other indicating means. With this and other objectsin view, my'invention consists of a pair of mounted electric switchterminals-housed within a casing, together with the push button center,which is recessed and made luminous and which constitutes the main partof my invention.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

the invention is illustrated, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of thepush hutton, and Fig. 2 a side view showing it attached to a wall; thepush button center is protruding.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the push button of Fig. 1 takencentrally; the terinilrllals and terminal base being shown in Fig. 4 isan enlarged sectional elevation of the push button center, showing thelumi- C. FRANK, a residing at nous material and a'hollow core retainingit therein. 1

- Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a modification,

showing the luminous material at the inner top only, and the hollowretaining core.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures, in which h 1 'is the casing.of the push button provided with anout-flaring stand and a top central :1 rture, which hasitscircumferentiale ge turned inwardly :,forming' a shoulder.Housedwithin the casing are the mounted electric switch terminals 2. '8is the push button center shown in the shell provided with a basalflange 4, and

said center in Fig. 815

shoulder of the casing 1,

aring' against the position by the upper and held in this form of ashown in its normal 1 face of said basal flange-- switch terminal 2,ressing against the bottom bearing face 0 said flange 4.

On depressing the push button center, the upper bearing face of thebasal flange discontacts upper This hollow binding core is made a littlelarger in diameter at its open end than at its closed end, so that whenit is inserted and form ofpush button center 60 from the casingshoulder, and the electric switch terminal contacts the: lower one, andwhile in this depressed posi-' tion the electric circuit is completedand-in service.

The push button center 3 shown enlarged any suitable material such asthin metal.

pressed into" seating position within the recess, it will bear and bindagainst the surface and by virtue of its enlarged diameter and reactingforce, be retained therein. In some cases I ma further wish to securethe core or the luminous material to the recess, this may beaccomplished by applying to the open end of the core, and t e exposedluminous material and the exposed surface of the recess, anadheringsubstance 7 such as gum arabic for example, which not rznly secures theluminous materlal in position,

but also. forms at the same time a hermetical and protecting seal forthe said luminous materia The latter material after a lapse of aboutfive years face, so it is essential for efliciency and (11b rabilitythat it always be kept in'close contact with the surface and sealed andprotected. 1 z

In 5 the ash button center .is of similar 5 ape to t at of Fig. 4 withthe ex ception of the top which differs from the uniform thickness'concavo-convex lens to of the latter. figure, by being provided wit alano-convex top the sur ace of which may be composed o 1polygons asshown in the cross-section hygtde straight lines; also the walls of they are made thick dries out, and has. a tendency to pulverize and flakeoil from any surf thus decreasing the diameter of the recess. Thisreduction in diameter is done for the purpose of usin a comparativelysmall quantity of a big er grade of luminous material, and allowing themagnifying power of the lens top to disseminate the lumlnous rays, thusmaking the actual area of the luminous material appear much larger. Thisform of lens magnlfies larger than the parallel-curved lens top of Fig.

Having described my invention and an embodiment of it, it is to beunderstood that the same covers other variations, which come within thespirit of the invention and which are within the sco e of the claims,therefore, being aware t at prior to my invention, push buttons havebeen made luminous in various ways, I do not claim broadly such; butwhat I claim is-- 1. A push button comprising a casing housing a pair ofelectric switch terminals, a termmal base and a transparent,homogeneous, self-luminous open shell, push button center; said luminousshell provided with a basal bearing flange around said open end engagingits casing and said terminals.

2. A push button center comprising a round, hollow, transparent bodyprovlded with a closed end and an open end, a basal flange around saidopen end, luminous material within said body and held in contact theretoby a binding core, and said core further secured to the body by anadhesive, said adhesive also forming a hermetical seal between the coreand said body.

3. A push button center comprising a round, hollow, transparent bodyprovlded terial within said body, and an adhesivecoating hermeticallysealing the luminous material within said body. I

5. In a push button, an integral structure of glass, comprising a hollowbody portion,

rovided a lens top portion, and a flan ed bottom portion, luminousmaterial within said inv tegral structure and a hollow binding corepressed within said body to retain said luminous material therein.

' 6. In a push button, an inte a1 structure of glass comprising a hollowody portion, a lens top ortion and a flanged bottom portion, luminousmaterial in said integral structure and an adhesive coating appliedthereto forming a hermetical seal for the luminous materlal within saidbody.

7. In a push button, a cylindrical, recessed, flanged, integralstructure of glass, the closed end of which is formed into aplano-convex lens to cause to subtend a larger visual angle for theluminous coating within said recess.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my si nature, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 2nd day of January, 1917.

MAXWELL O. FRANK.

Witnesses:

LEROY W. J ACKSOK, LAURA F. FRANK.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,256,007, grantedFebruary 12,

1918, upon the application of Maxwell C. Frank, of Piedmont, California,for an "improvement in Electric Push-Buttons," errors appear in theprinted specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 25,claim 1, for the word "said" read its; same page and claim, line 26, forthe word its read said; and

that the said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may conform-t0 the record of the case in thePatent. Olfice.

Signed and sealed this 2d day of April, A. 1)., 1918.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

